It is often times desirable, and in some cases necessary, that the vital physiological signs of a patient be determined and monitored. The determinations and monitoring of various vital signs has long been carried out by heretofore existing equipment.
Various attempts have also heretofore been suggested and/or utilized to develop devices, including electronic devices, wherein a plurality of physical data, i.e., vital signs data, could be determined and displayed by the unit. Included in such suggested circuits is a unit that includes an electric thermometer, an ECG preamplifier, a heart beat detector, a heart rate processor, a pneumograph and a respiration rate processor. While this suggested art could determined and monitor a plurality of vital signs, a need still existed for an improved unit, as well as improved components for such a unit. By way of example, needed improvements include development of an electronic thermometer that does not require potentiometers for calibration or the use of circuit elements such as capacitors that are too large in value to be incorporated into a hybrid package, development of an ECG preamplifier that does not require discreet components that are not suitable for the space limitations that are imposed by small hybrid packaging, and development of a heart beat detector, heart rate processor, impedance pneumograph and respiration rate processor that do not require circuit elements such as potentiometers that must be mounted external of a hybrid package.
In general, existing vital signs monitoring devices have not been found to fully acceptable, at least for some purposes, due to high power requirements, unsuitability for hybridizing, utilization of low impedance levels, utilization of too many required calibration adjustments, lack of flexibility and/or use of components of larger dimensions than are acceptable for miniaturized packaging.